


Four Years

by ahiddenpath



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Found Family, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-10-28 20:07:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahiddenpath/pseuds/ahiddenpath
Summary: An AU story where the older 01 kids go to an American college.  Dub names with some dub personality influence.  Koushiro/OC, Sorato, Jyoumi, Tai/?. A story full of romance, laughs, drama, and fun things like partying and classes. The kids still have a lot of growing up to do, and they need each other to heal old hurts and go forward.





	1. Moving In

**Moving In**

“I can’t believe I have this much crap,” Tai muttered as he pulled another box out of the trunk of his father’s car. Kari, his younger sister, smiled and shook her head.

“I warned you that you were packing too much.” Tai tsked, but couldn’t bring himself to initiate a sibling spat. He was going to miss Kari desperately while he was at college, but of course he hadn’t told her that.

He stared at his new dorm, shielding his eyes against the glaring sun. It was an old brick building that looked decent from the outside, but left something to be desired from within. The communal bathrooms featured cramped shower stalls offering translucent curtains for privacy, with no separate area to change. The hallways and communal areas smelled of dudes and microwavable food. The dorm rooms themselves were tiny, and the walls were composed of painted cinder blocks, just like the ones in his elementary school. There were exposed pipes in the ceiling. Tai had glanced into a girl’s room earlier and found wet bras and panties hanging from them to dry. His mouth twisted into a grin without his willing it.

He set the box into the yellow cart he had borrowed from the dorm. It was full, so he squared his shoulders and started pushing it up the ramp, relishing the sensation of his muscles working. He applied more force than he meant to, causing the cart to jerk towards the building’s entrance. Someone opened the door from the inside at just the wrong moment, and the cart collided with it, pushing it backwards. There was a muffled exclamation of pain from the other side.

 _Crap! I think I just knocked a girl over!_ Tai pushed the cart onto the landing so he could get around it, then grabbed the door and pulled it back. A boy sat on the floor, wincing and cradling his forehead with both hands.

Tai grabbed the stranger’s arm and hauled him to his feet. “I’m so sorry, man!” he cried. The boy lowered his hands, giving Tai a clear view of his face. He had black eyes set beneath heavy brows. The top of the kid’s violently red hair only reached Tai’s chest. An impressive bruise was already beginning to form on his forehead.

“Quite alright,” the boy said, speaking through clenched teeth. Tai felt his brow rise. That seemed like a British thing to say, but he had an American accent. Girlish voice, delicate features, short and scrawny, and overly proper? _Poor bastard. Must be terrible with the ladies._

“How bad is it?” Tai asked, shifting guiltily. “I have a first aid kit somewhere in this mess…”

“No need,” the boy answered. “Mine is already unpacked.” The pain must have been bad, because the redhead retreated back into the dorm lobby instead of continuing on his way outside. Tai sighed, then dragged his cart inside and pushed it out of the way.

“My name’s Tai,” he said, extending a hand to him. “Third floor. I’ll find a way to make this up to you, alright?” The redhead paled, probably wondering if future contact with him would cause more injuries, but he shook his hand anyway. Tai’s tanned, calloused hands seemed to swallow the other boy’s, which were delicate and pale. _Does this dude ever go outside?_

“Isaac,” the redhead offered. “But I’m called Izzy. Fifth floor.” Tai fought to keep his expression from shifting. Izzy was such a girly nickname. Sticking with Isaac would serve him better, but Tai vaguely knew better than to say so.

“I’ll see you around, Izzy. I’m sorry.” Izzy nodded and wandered over to the elevator, but Tai waited for the next one under the pretense of talking to Kari, who had watched the encounter from the tattered sofa in the corner of the lobby.

“Tai,” she sighed as she approached him. “Really?” He crossed his arms and stared down at her.

“It was an accident. I’ll find something nice to do for him.” Kari raised a delicate brow and pushed the elevator call button. When it arrived, they stood aside for the girl pushing a cart out and then stepped inside. Tai hit the round 3 button and waited for the doors to close.

“Listen,” Kari said. “While it’s just the two of us… I’m really going to miss you, Tai. Promise to call me lots?” Tai glanced over at her and felt a lump form in his throat. He coughed to clear it away.

“I will. Every day, if you want.” Kari grinned despite the tears in her eyes.

“Maybe not _that_ much,” she quipped, and Tai managed a faint laugh. He pulled his sister into a tight hug.

“Listen, be careful, alright? Don’t let TK get fresh with you. Or Davis. Or anyone else. I will personally kick the boy’s ass if he does.” He pressed a cheek to her soft hair and breathed in her comforting scent. In many ways, his sister was the center of his universe, and he wasn’t entirely sure what he would do now that they were no longer living in the same house.

Kari sighed and shifted so that her forehead was pressed against his shoulder. “I can take care of myself… but thanks. You’ll watch out for Amy, right?”

Tai sucked in a quick breath. “Y-yeah. Of course. You know I will.”

Kari pulled back enough to look at him, her expression concerned. “Tai, I wasn’t- I wasn’t blaming you at all. I’m just…” She sighed and plopped her face against his chest. “I’m worried about her.”

Tai’s grip tightened around his sister. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Kari smiled and squeezed him back, somehow almost matching his strength. “I love you. Have fun here, okay?”

“Sure. I love you, too,” he murmured. Then the elevator beeped, and he pulled away from her as the doors opened. He pushed his cart down the hallway and opened the door to his room. His eyes immediately fell on Matt, his roommate and best friend. Matt’s brother and father were straightening up his side of the room.

“Hey, man,” Matt said, glancing up from tucking his sheets around his twin bed. TK grinned at Kari, and she entwined her fingers and smiled back. Tai fixed Matt’s kid brother with a death glare, but TK failed to react. Tai begrudgingly gave him some respect and left him alone.

“You guys weren’t here a second ago,” Tai said. Tai’s parents were loading his clothes into his closet and drawers. Kari moved to TK and started chatting with him in an undertone. The tiny room was far too small for all of these people, and everyone kept bumping into each other.

Matt nodded and tugged on the sheet. “Yeah, we went to lunch. Listen, my bass is in the corner, okay? Do me a favor and don’t destroy it.” Tai felt a muscle tick in his forehead.

“What do you think I’m gonna do, toss it out the window?” he asked, rolling his eyes. Kari giggled and broke off her conversation with TK long enough to turn to the two of them. Tai knew she was going to say something about how he had bashed Izzy’s head in, so he hastened to cut her off, speaking far too loudly. “I see it, I see it, don’t get your wig in a bunch.” He glanced at Matt’s blond hair, which he meticulously set into a cool, messy look every day, using lethal amounts of hair gel and time. Matt snorted and grinned.

After that, the group went about the move-in process with no further hitches. It was almost time for dinner by the time everything was in the room and put away. His father suggested that they grab Amy and get something to eat, so Tai asked his family to wait in the car while he looked for her.

Amy lived on the fourth floor, the only all girl’s floor in the building, by her request. Tai took the stairs and knocked on her door, and a blond girl opened it. Her blue eyes passed up and down his body, sparking with approval and interest. Tai gave her an easy, arrogant smile. Although he enjoyed flirting and was pleased by her reaction, Tai wasn’t actively interested in this girl. Something about her expression, possibly the way she scrunched her lips together and to the side, spoke of condescension. He wasn’t the world’s best judge, but this was not the person he would have chosen as Amy’s roommate.

He introduced himself as Amy’s cousin, tried to listen patiently to her reply, then edged past her. Amy was at her desk, glancing up from an open biology text. She smiled when she saw him.

“Amy,” Tai sighed, snapping the book shut. “ _No_. Save it for when classes start next Monday.”

Amy pouted, but her expression morphed back into a grin. “What’s up, Tai?” she asked.

“Just wondering if you wanted to grab dinner with Kari, my parents, and me,” he said. His brow rose at the eager look on her face.

“Sounds great, just give me a second,” she said, and her voice seemed to float with relief. She selected a pair of shoes from the closet, shoved her feet into them, and lifted her purse from a hook on the wall. “See you later, Sarah!”

“Uh, are you that hungry?” Tai asked. Amy sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. She stayed quiet until they were far away from her room.

“It’s just… Sarah,” she said at last. “I tried so hard to talk to her all day, but she doesn’t read or play video games. Our tastes in music and movies are completely at odds, and she isn’t interested in any of the arts. From what I can tell, she’s mostly into adrenaline type sports. And it’s probably just my imagination, but I feel like she’s already decided that she doesn’t like me, and that she’s looking down on me.” Amy gave herself a quick, supportive squeeze, then took hold of his elbow. “But I’m probably just being neurotic.”

There was a long pause, and Tai sensed her agitation growing as her body tensed. Eventually, she muttered, “Tai, _she doesn’t read_.” Something about the way she said it made the words sound almost damning, and Tai fought to keep his face straight.

“Well, you know, neither do I. We get along.” He patted her hand, then tried to talk himself out of worrying about Amy’s roommate. One of his older friends from his high school soccer club had warned him that new roommates often went through a honeymoon phase, where they got along well because of the novelty of the situation. That polite behavior would erode over time, sometimes exploding violently before the middle of the semester. This was only the first day, and Amy and Sarah already seemed to be a little at odds.

“Yes, well. I don’t have to live with you,” Amy teased. Tai snorted and ruffled her long, dark brown hair, mussing it up at the roots. She sighed and broke away from him, finger-combing her hair with annoyed vigor. Tai couldn’t fight the huge grin that followed. Tormenting Amy and Kari was one of his favorite activities.

Amy paused when they stepped outside of the dorm building, and Tai came to a stop beside her. He followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at their dorm. “What’s up?” he asked.

“This is really happening,” Amy whispered. “My mom and brother went home already. Your family is going to go home soon. And then we’ll still be here. And I mean, I’ve been dreaming of college for years, dreaming of not living with my father. But, now that it’s happening…” She turned back to him, and she looked so lost and bewildered that she suddenly seemed much younger.

Tai took a deep breath and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I know it’s scary. It’s okay to be scared. But it’ll be alright, and Matt and I are here, yeah?”

Amy smiled, but Tai could see the strain in her eyes. “Yes, I know. And I’m here for you, not that you need it. You’re always the strong one.”

Tai stood in silence. He wished he knew how to tell her that he needed her just as much as she needed him, but he couldn’t bring himself to say something so mushy. Instead, he put his arm around her shoulders lead her to the car, where his family was waiting.

“We’re going to have a good time here,” he said. “So don’t worry.”

She nodded, and he vowed to do whatever he could to make his prediction a reality.

**About this story**

_Four Years_ is an AU story set in an American college. I selected this setting because I wanted to write a college story, and I have no experience with what college is like in Japan. I will be using the dub first names and avoiding last names. Also, in this AU, Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, Mimi, and Joe are all the same age (college freshman). TK and Kari are three years younger than them, so right now they are sophomores in high school.  The characters are a blend of the original Japanese and English dub personalities, with more of an emphasis on the dub personalities than I usually write.

The story has a lot of OCs, since it takes place on a college campus. Except for Amy, most of them are minor characters meant to fill out the campus and create a more realistic environment.

This story has 49 chapters already posted on Fanfiction.net.  I started writing it in 2012, and my skill has increased since then.  My goal is to edit one chapter per week and post it on AO3, polishing the story as I go.

I commissioned the cover art from Burbiart on Tumblr.  I have a tumblr for sharing my writing and digimon fandom goodness!  Check me out [here](http://ahiddenpath.tumblr.com/)!

Thanks very much for reading!  Comments definitely help me to keep going, so please consider leaving me a note!  I hope you enjoy _Four Years._

 


	2. Catalyst

**Catalyst**

Freshman were obligated to arrive on campus a week before classes began, and Tai was bored, bored, _bored_. Although parties and clubs could fill the evenings, the days were empty stretches of nothing. He rolled over on his twin bed and stared at the clock. It was eleven in the morning, past time to get his lazy ass up and moving, but what was there to do? Soccer practice didn’t start until the semester began, since most of his teammates weren’t on campus yet.

“Matt?” he muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “You got any plans today?” There was no answer, so he sat up and glanced at Matt’s side of the room. _Rat bastard!_ Tai thought, staring at the empty bed. The bass was gone too, so Matt was probably out practicing somewhere.

 _Oh, well._ Many alumni from his high school attended this college, since it was local, so he’d make some calls and hopefully spark up a game of soccer. Hell, he’d settle for baseball at this rate. Whatever he could do to get his body moving, to work off some of the restless energy that had built up since the weekend. Worse case scenario, he could hit the gym.

With that decided, Tai groped on the surface of his desk, which was pushed against his bed to provide a nightstand surface. When his fingers curled around his cell, he pulled it in and flipped through his contacts, making calls until he found some people willing to play.

Feeling much lighter of heart, he leaped out of bed, dressed, and made his way to their chosen meeting place. Eating and showering could wait until after he got what he craved: physical exertion, release of his pent up energy, the rush and dominance of competitive sports.

  **Hours Later**  

It was late afternoon by the time Tai ate, returned to his dorm, and showered. He felt calmer after spending a few hours working his body, running around in the sun until that strangely pleasant burn of exertion set into his muscles. And, to top it all off, one of his friends told him about a party tonight, and he knew just whom to invite.

Tai slipped out of his room and climbed the stairs, taking them two at a time with his long legs. He opened the door leading to floor five and wandered around until he saw a door labeled Isaac. He knocked, and he soon found himself staring down at Izzy.

“Hey,” Tai said. “Uh, heh, remember me?” Izzy blinked, then nodded. His expression was carefully neutral, and it irked him a little. Tai forced that feeling down when he noticed the bruise on Izzy’s forehead.

“What can I do for you?” Izzy asked, not stepping out of the entrance to his room. Tai tipped his head and frowned. What was _with_ this guy? He had never met a kid who spoke so formally.

“Just wanted to talk,” he said, trying to keep his smile friendly. He cocked an eyebrow at Izzy’s look of mild surprise. The redhead nodded and stepped out of the way, and Tai entered.

Izzy’s room was incredibly bare. There were no posters or decorations, just a black rug between the two twin beds. One bed had a dark green comforter and pillow cases, and the other was decked out in black. One desk was occupied by an enormous desktop with twin monitors, a laptop, and a neat pile of books, and the other was covered with study charts, books, and binders. The closets were closed, and there was nothing piled on top of either chests of drawers. Belatedly, Tai noticed the boy bent at the desk without the computers. He hadn’t even looked up, despite the arrival of a stranger in his room.

“Uh, nice to meet you,” Tai said to the boy’s back. He finally turned around, looking slightly annoyed. His hair was dark black, almost blue-looking, and he had black eyes and glasses. His face was long and thin. Tai noticed that he was wearing a sweater vest over a collared shirt, and he tried not to laugh at the geezer-esque ensemble.

“Nice to meet you,” Izzy’s roommate said. “I’m Joe.” As soon as his greeting was delivered, Joe turned back to his books.

“I’m Tai,” the athlete replied, trying to stay patient and calm. He had somehow wandered into the most asocial dorm room on the planet, and their standoffish behavior was pissing him off. “What are you studying, anyway? Classes haven’t even started yet.” Tai poked his head over Joe’s shoulder and saw a bunch of shapes with sticks coming off of them.

“Organic chemistry,” Joe said. “This isn’t the kind of thing I can afford to get behind in.” Tai whistled. He wasn’t taking anything remotely similar.

“You should talk to my cousin,” he said, shaking his head. “I caught her studying biology on move-in day.” Joe made a noncommittal sound and turned the page of his book. Tai shook his head and turned back to Izzy, but he was already sitting at his desk and doing something on the computer.

The last shreds of Tai’s patience withered away. _“Really,_ Izzy?” he asked, pressing his hands on the back of his desk chair. It shuddered beneath the force, and Izzy flinched. Tai breathed deeply and tried to reign himself in. Izzy swiveled the chair around, looking cautious.

Tai sighed. “Look, I wanted to invite you to a party. Joe’s welcome to come, too.” Izzy smiled, but it was a purely polite gesture. There was no eagerness or interest on his face.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll have to decline,” he said. Izzy started to turn back to the computer, but Tai’s eye twitched, and it seemed to freeze him. Tai’s teeth began to grind. Apparently Izzy was going to treat him like a dangerous predator forever.

“It’s going to be fun. Girls. Alcohol. Music.” A sudden thought occurred to him, and he tilted his head and spoke in a slightly suspicious tone. “Have you been to a college party yet?” Most of the freshman were living it up before they had any responsibilities, and it seemed like everyone everywhere was drinking. But if anyone was missing out on that, Tai was sure he had just found them.

Izzy blinked and shook his head. “Well, that settles it, then!” Tai said, clapping his shoulder. “It’s high time you went to your first one.” It pleased Tai to have some way of making amends to Izzy. The guy probably had no clue about this stuff, so being introduced to it under his experienced eye would surely be helpful for him, right?

“I’m underage,” Izzy said, raising a brow and frowning. Tai waved a hand dismissively.

“It’s at a frat house, dude. No one’s going to card you.” Izzy’s expression didn’t change, and Tai felt his face tighten. “Oh, God. You… You actually mean that you won’t drink until you’re twenty-one, don’t you?” He grimaced and pulled back a little, as if Izzy’s uptightness might be contagious.

“I feel no particular desire to impair myself,” Izzy replied, tapping a finger against his knee, “regardless of my age.” Tai groaned and rubbed a hand against his face.

“Get up,” he demanded. “You’re going. You too, Joe, come on. And for the love of God, lose the sweater vest!” If Joe heard him, he gave no indication. Tai glanced back at Izzy and saw that he was wearing khakis and a raglan shirt, which he could find no real fault with. But really, something about the guy just screamed ‘piss off,’ only… politely so. ‘ _Please_ piss off,’ maybe. No, ‘Would you kindly piss off,’ that was it. 

Izzy gawked at him as if he were a baffling animal at the zoo, maybe a platypus or a sea horse that looked like seaweed. “Tai. I’m not interested.” Tai backed away from the chair and started pacing around the room.

“You’d think I was asking you to get a root canal,” he muttered. “Look, it’s a fantastic evening. Let’s just walk over there, and if you don’t like it, you can leave. Otherwise, I’m going to stay here and pester you until the party ends, whiiiiich will probably happen around four in the morning.”

Joe must have been listening, because he finally spoke up. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he groaned. “I have studying to get done.”

“It will be there tomorrow,” Tai said testily. “And if you think I’m annoying now, well, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” At this point, even Tai couldn’t even say why he was still arguing about this. Izzy and Joe were clearly a pair of lost causes. It was probably just stubbornness running away with him.

But then Izzy sighed and stood, much to Tai’s surprise. “Fine. I did promise my mother that I would get out on occasion, and this will at least allow me to stretch my legs. But don’t expect me to stay.”

Joe adjusted his glasses and slumped over in his chair. “Seriously? Why me…” With a glare at Tai, removed his sweater vest, folded it, and placed it in a drawer. Tai rolled his eyes. Joe was still dressed at the higher end of business casual, but it would have to do.

“I’m glad we’re doing this the easy way,” Tai muttered. He opened the door and held it open while the nerds filed out, each one looking annoyed and just a bit disgusted. “It will be fun,” he added, and there was a slight growling quality to his voice. “You’ll see.”

“I’m sure,” Izzy drawled, and his politeness was cutting, even chilling. Tai felt his attention sharpen, felt his instincts rise and focus on the tiny redhead. So, there was some spirit there, after all. He grinned slowly, arrogantly, and slammed the door with a sense of finality.

“March, boys,” he said, and they fixed him with identical black-eyed glares. Tai laughed, and even he was aware that his friendly desire to be helpful had morphed into challenge somehow under the force of their reluctance. He knew he would push them out of their comfort zones before the night was through, and he was looking forward to it.


	3. Baby’s First Party

**Baby’s First Party**

Izzy was surprised to find that frat row consisted of brick buildings sitting on tidy green lawns. Their white columns and facades granted them grandeur, but their shabbiness spoke of years of harsh use.

Izzy didn’t need to follow Tai to find the party anymore. He could hear the music from a block away, could see the mass of bodies writhing on the lawn. He shared an uncomfortable look with Joe. To say that this was not their element would be a gross understatement. He tried to comfort himself with the possibility that Tai would soon forget about them, and they could slip away and agree to never open their door for him again.

Tai led them into the crowd, dauntless of the volume and the crush of people. There were kids everywhere in various degrees of intoxication, and they all seemed to know Tai and want to talk to him. Izzy wondered why someone so popular would bother to needle him into attending. Did Tai really feel that bad about injuring him? _I assumed he just didn’t want to arrive alone._

When they were finally inside, Tai put one hand on his shoulder and the other on Joe’s. “Listen,” he said, half shouting despite their proximity so that he could be heard over the pounding bass, “the cheap beer is all over, but Adam’s a friend. If you want something better, let me know.”

Izzy glanced at Joe, allowing his confusion to show. How could a kid afford to get this many people drunk? Joe shrugged and nodded towards a rectangular table tucked away in a corner. The four chairs around it were miraculously empty. Tai disappeared into the crowd, so they wound through the undulating bodies, practically swimming to the table. The temperature and the smell of bear increased as they ventured further into the room.

They were halfway to the table when a girl collapsing onto one of the chairs. Izzy sighed at the breach in their refuge, but at least no one was following her. He and Joe approached and claimed their own seats. She offered a tight smile, but edged her chair away from theirs.

Her front teeth dug into her lower lip as they shared awkward glances. “Um, hello,” she said at last. “I’m Amy.”

“Hello. I’m Joe, and this is Izzy.”

“Izzy?” she echoed, smiling more naturally. “That’s such a cute name.” Izzy fought down a sigh. He was aware that his nickname was a common dog name in the states. But there were no signs of teasing in Amy’s voice, so he tried to relax.

Since it seemed that a conversation was unavoidable, Izzy squinted for a good look at her in the dim frat house. Amy had long brown hair with bangs. Her facial structure was round, with mostly nondescript features. But her eyes were striking, deep brown and framed with long lashes. There was a slight arch to her brow, calling attention to her best feature.

Amy’s finger traced a pattern on the card table as she stared into his face, and then Joe’s. Izzy cleared his throat when he realized than an awkward amount of time had passed with no one saying anything.

“Um, I double major in biology and vocal performance,” Amy said, throwing her voice into the void.

“Bio?” Joe echoed. “Me, too. Well, I’m premed, specifically, but it’s pretty much the same thing at this point.”

“Oh? That’s so cool. I wish I knew what I wanted to do with my degree. I’m just interested in biology, I’m not tough enough to be a doctor.”

Izzy fought down a grin as Joe colored and looked away. He had probably never been called ‘cool’ or ‘tough’ before, but Amy had no way of knowing that. She flicked her eyes to him, then tipped her head, smiling expectantly.

“Ah. Computer science and mathematics.” Amy’s eyes widened, and Izzy steeled himself to be called a nerd or a geek.

“Woooow. Respect! I wish I knew more about computers and math. I’m clueless, and everything seems to come down to them.”

Izzy relaxed and pulled his chair closer to the table. “It’s impossible to be well-versed in every topic. If you have any questions, I’d be glad to be of assistance.” Joe glanced at him and raised a brow, and Izzy realized that he had committed a techie’s cardinal sin: implying that he would help with computer problems. His jaw shut with a faint snap.

“You’re very nice.” She looked as if she wanted to continue, but she turned when Tai approached the table. He was holding three red cups, squishing the third against his chest with his arm. His eyes widened when he saw Amy.

“Amy! I never would have thought I’d find you here!” Tai placed the drinks in front of Izzy and Joe. He handed the third to Amy, and she took his arm and nuzzled her head against it. Izzy edged back, surprised by the display of affection. _Could they be dating? Their personalities seem so at odds._

“Listen, I mixed this drink for me, so it’s really strong. Don’t drink it too fast, and don’t have more alcohol, or you’ll regret it tomorrow. I’ll come around later with water.”

“I don’t want to drink,” Amy muttered, staring into the dark liquid. “It smells awful.”

“It’s rum and coke,” Tai said, sounding affectionately exasperated. “Captain Morgan Private Stock. It’s good. All sugar, how can you complain?”

“The mind fairly boggles,” Amy retorted.

“Don’t worry.” Tai’s expression went so serious that Izzy almost wondered if this was the same kid who had dragged him here. “Whenever you want to leave, find Matt or me. We’ll make sure you get back safely. Don’t take any drinks from anyone but us.”

Izzy could see and hear Amy swallow, even from the other side of the table. “I know,” she whispered. Izzy glanced at Joe and gave him a mystified look, but his friend was focused on Amy, looking grim. He wondered what information Joe was gleaning from this conversation that he was missing.

Tai sighed and took the last free chair. “I can’t believe you two are hiding in the corner here. The point is to meet people.”

“They’re meeting me.” Amy tone was bright, but oddly tight.

Tai grinned and mussed her hair. “Well, you got me there. They’re in our building, so you should make friends.” He glanced at Joe and him and grinned, but there was something intimidating in his expression. Tai patted her back and stood, and the crowd swallowed him up again.

Amy sighed and swirled her cup without taking a drink. “Let me guess. That bruise on your forehead, Izzy? Tai knocked you over or something, and now he thinks dragging you somewhere you don’t want to be will make you even.”

It took Izzy a moment to recover from her stunning accuracy. “That’s… That’s precisely what happened.”

“Wait, Tai’s the guy who threw a door into you? Is _that_ what this is about?” Joe sighed, grimaced, and took a deep drink from his cup, apparently requiring alcohol to get through this evening. Amy held a hand out as he picked it up, but he didn’t notice. Soon he was coughing and pressing his face into his elbow.

“Tai makes them strong,” Amy murmured. “Mine might actually get up and walk away, since he poured it for himself. And, you know, Captain Morgan Private Stock is 100 proof.”

“Y-you don’t say,” Joe wheezed. Izzy couldn’t help but smile, and Joe glared when he saw it. Izzy cast about for a way to remove attention from his amusement at Joe’s expense.

“Er, Amy. I hope this isn’t offensive, but I wouldn’t have pictured Tai dating a girl like you.” Amy recoiled in her seat and started laughing. It was a small giggle at first, but soon she was laughing full out, snorting as she fought to breathe.

“Zeus’ beard, no! No, no, no, _no_. He’s my cousin.” She shook her head and took a cautious sip from her red cup. Her nose wrinkled and her upper lip drew up. “It’s awful, but I’m going to need it to stay sane here. It’s so loud… I wonder why people like this.” She drank some more and pressed her chin to her palm, staring balefully around the packed room.

“What are you doing here, then, if you don’t mind my asking?” Joe asked. “You know why we’re here.” Izzy had been wondering the same thing. She looked every bit as reluctant to be here as they were.

“My roommate insisted. I guess she takes issue with my tendency to study all the time. But that’s what I’m paying for, you know? Why pay tuition and buy all those textbooks for no reason?”

Joe’s expression shifted from polite to eager. “Yes, yes, exactly! That’s what I keep telling people, but do they listen? No, it’s always, ‘Joe, go get drunk, Joe, go kill yourself rock climbing, Joe, fail out of college and have a worthless existence!’”

Izzy hid a smile behind his cup as Amy pressed both hands to her mouth. Her shoulders started shaking, and Joe’s aghast expression had her laughing too hard to hold it back. “You are so funny!” she cried, which made his grin widen. She had no idea that Joe was being deathly serious.

When Amy’s laughter finally died, there was a long pause. They all looked at each other and drank. Amy hadn’t been exaggerating; the high concentration of alcohol was dry and harsh on Izzy’s throat. He had never been drunk before, had only tasted a few drinks, mostly wine. He wasn’t sure if he was going to finish this drink or not, but it was worth a taste, if only to satisfy his curiosity.

Izzy noted, somewhat distantly, that he was almost enjoying himself. He wasn’t sure if it was because of Joe and Amy’s company, or because he felt like a host on a nature show, mentally commenting on an unusual species of fauna, traveling in an environment that he had never seen. He couldn’t comprehend why these people wanted to grind on strangers, why they drank bitter-smelling beer, why they had no problem deafening themselves with ear-splitting music and shouting.

“I’m glad I met you two,” Amy said, pulling him from his musings. Izzy stared as she downed a few enormous gulps from her cup. “I don’t know anyone at this school except Tai and Matt, and I don’t think I’ve been adjusting well. Maybe we can hang out some time? I’m on the fourth floor.”

“Sure,” Joe said. “I study a lot, though, so I may not be the best company.” He glanced at Izzy, and he tilted his head slightly in response. “Izzy’s on his computer all the time.”

Izzy frowned and drank. He didn’t need Joe to make apologies for him. “I’d be happy to spend time with you,” he said, but there was an annoyed edge to his voice that he didn’t bother to smooth out. He pulled back a little when he noticed Joe’s slight smile. Had he just been baited?

“I study a lot, too,” Amy replied. “But I also play guitar. Do you guys like video games?” Izzy and Joe shared a look. They weren’t gamers, and neither of them had that many hobbies. Izzy placed his energy into computers, math, and science. Joe poured all of his time into school, he always had. It was suddenly more obvious why they didn’t generally do much talking.

“I don’t normally play games, but I did play _Portal_ ,” Izzy said. “I was interested in the puzzle elements, but it wasn’t nearly as challenging as I was led to believe.”

“Oooh, I liked that game!” Amy continued to chatter as the three of them drained their cups. Izzy noted, somewhat hazily, that the conversation grew more interesting as he ingested more alcohol. Amy grew giggly, and her smile became permanent. Izzy felt looser, freer, and he shifted by degrees from nearly silent to quiet. Joe just looked like he was getting sleepy.

Eventually, a girl crept up behind Amy with comical care. Izzy watched her, finding everything more interesting under Captain Morgan’s hefty influence. The newcomer pressed her hands dramatically on Amy’s shoulders, and she jumped, nearly dumping her drink onto her chest. Amy’s annoyance shifted to joy as she looked up at the girl.

“Mimi!” she cried, throwing herself to her feet. The two girls embraced, and Izzy grimaced when Mimi shrieked happily. He glanced towards Joe, intending to share an annoyed look with him, but he was staring at Mimi with something close to awe on his face. Frowning with confusion, Izzy took a closer look at Mimi.

She had brown hair just a bit longer than shoulder length. Like Eimi, she had large eyes, but hers were a light shade of reddish-brown. Her ovular face was flawless, with no signs of asymmetry, blemishes, or imperfect features. And, as if her natural beauty wasn’t devastating enough, she was wearing makeup with skill that bordered on the professional, accenting all of her features to maximum advantage.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Mimi said. Amy tried to pull away, but Mimi held on to her waist. “You’re even curvier than I remembered!”

“Mimi! You’re already going there? You haven’t changed at all!” Mimi’s comment drew Izzy’s eyes to the girls’ bodies. Amy was taller than Mimi, almost by a head, and had a much larger build overall. She was neither thin nor heavy, and had prominent curves. In contrast, Mimi was petite and slim.

“I can’t help it!” Mimi cried, giggling in a way that suggested a high level of intoxication. “You’re so squishy and curvy, you’re the best! Come here, girl!” Mimi stood on her toes and pressed her lips to Amy’s.

Izzy stared; he knew it was rude, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away. Then he saw Mimi glance towards him and Joe, and irritation formed. Was Mimi using Amy to draw male attention? Dimly, Izzy wondered about Amy’s passivity. The tight set of her muscles implied that she wasn’t happy with this, but she allowed Mimi to go on, even kissed her back a little.

Finally, they broke apart, and Amy returned to the safety of her chair. “I forgot that you do that when you’re drunk.” Then she tilted her head and smiled half-heartedly. “That probably was the best kiss I’ve ever gotten, though.”

Mimi laughed, a sound like bells pealing, and settled into the last open chair. “Of course!” she cried. “But boy, do you need to work on your technique. It was like you didn’t even want to kiss me!”

“Because I didn’t,” Amy replied, but there was no real heat there. She returned her attention to Izzy and Joe, and he tried to banish any lingering signs of his shock and arousal. Izzy glanced at Joe and found that he was gawking, his eyes popped open and his mouth hanging slightly. He kicked him under the table, and Joe rearranged his expression with painfully obvious effort.

“Guys, this is Mimi,” Amy explained. “We went to the same high school, but she left after sophomore year. Mimi, this is Joe and Izzy. I just met them.” She tilted her head, glancing off to the side as if she had forgotten something and couldn’t figure out what it was. “Oh! And I’m Amy.”

Izzy clamped his lips together to keep from laughing, but Mimi and Joe were less restrained. “You’re hilarious when you’re drunk,” Mimi said.

“Yeah, well…” Amy frowned and tilted her head, clearly trying to come up with a retort. Izzy grinned at her expression, with her mouth all scrunched up and her eyes narrowed and searching the air, as if she were squinting to read the perfect comeback written there.

“Why are you huddled in the corner at a party?” Mimi demanded. “We’ve got two good lookin’ boys here. Let’s dance!” She leaned in conspiratorially and nudged Amy with her elbow, speaking in a stage whisper. “You like the cute type, right? You take the redhead.”

Heat swept over Amy’s face, darkening it with rosy color. Izzy grimaced internally at the thought of dancing. As for being labeled the cute one, well, he had certainly heard worse things about his appearance, so he let it slide without much consideration.

“I don’t think Izzy likes dancing,” Amy said, looking at him with wide, imploring eyes. That stung a little, despite the fact that she was entirely correct. But then Izzy noticed her trembling. He glanced at Joe, hoping for his insight, but he was already taking Mimi’s hand, looking dazed.

Izzy edged around the table and took the seat beside her, moving with care to accommodate the unusual clumsiness of his legs. “I suppose I don’t,” he agreed, and she went limp with relief. “I see you don’t care for it, either.”

“It’s crowds I don’t like. All these people, I…” She broke off with a shudder and pulled in towards the table. “I’d rather stay out of the way.” Izzy wanted to ask questions, but he noticed Tai advancing in the background, carrying a few cans of beer and a stack of red cups. A blond boy followed, laden with more cans of beer.

“Hey,” Tai called as he came within earshot, “where did Joe get to?” Izzy nodded towards his friend, and Tai’s jaw dropped when he saw him dancing awkwardly with Mimi. “Damn!” Tai cried, looking impressed. “And that girl is- Holy crap, it’s Mimi!”

“Be careful,” Amy said, reaching out to pull some of the tipping beer cans from his arms. “She might kiss you when she recognizes you.”

“Hey, sign me up,” Tai laughed, setting the rest of the cans on the table. The blond boy appeared beside him, and Izzy raised an eyebrow. The newcomer was tall, slim, but just muscular enough to avoid being scrawny, like he was. His hair was perfectly messy, the kind of effortless look that cost a great deal of effort. He had classical features, a firm chin, and an aquiline nose. But even among all of that, his eyes stood out. They were hard and icy, a bright, steely blue, brimming with electricity and passion. They were the kind of eyes someone could look into and never completely wander out of.

Frowning, Izzy took his first careful look at Tai, and he almost gnashed his teeth in frustration. Tai was tan, lithe, and brimming with sinew and trim muscle, the kind people gained from frequent participation in cardio activities. His brown hair was a careless mess, almost bushy, but it somehow suited him. Like his cousin, he had brown eyes, but the shade was lighter, somewhere between Amy’s and Mimi’s eye colors. They were flecked with glittering hints of gold that shone even in the dim frat house. His features were masculine without being hard, firm without being overbearing. Traditional, almost painful masculinity, with the exception of his mouth, which seemed forever set in a slightly cocky, self-assured smile.

Why was he suddenly surrounded by attractive people? Izzy couldn’t say why, but it was beyond annoying. He glanced at Amy, glad to see another person who didn’t look like she had walked right off of a movie set.

“Matt!” Amy cried, pressing her hands together. “Hey, hey. Hey, Matt! Maaaatt!” Izzy’s mouth twitched upwards despite himself when she continued to call the blond boy over and over, despite the fact that he was looking at her.

“You’ve, uh, had a few.” He turned to Tai and said, “I’ll walk her home when she’s ready. I’m a little tired, anyway.”

“Deal,” Tai said, grinning as he lined up empty cups on one end of the table. Izzy watched him form a triangle made of six cups. Tai popped open some beers and poured them into the waiting vessels.

“Maaaatt, Maaaaaaatt!” Amy sang, waving her hands in front of his face.

Matt plopped a hand on her shoulder. “Yes? I _do_ hear you.”

“Mimi!” she cried. “Mimi’s here, see, see? She kissed me. It was gross, but also nice. She tastes like cherries. She’s a good kisser. But why is she kissing me, she’s just teasing me, everyone teases me.”

“She what?” Matt echoed. “That again… I’d talk to her, but I don’t think she’ll listen.”

“I guess it’s alright. She just thinks it’s fun to kiss a girl when she’s sloshed.” Amy shrugged.

“Pardon me, but you seemed uncomfortable with it,” Izzy said. “Perhaps you should try to make her understand that?”

Tai looked away from his setup and stared at him. Finally, he cupped Amy’s shoulder and said, “Make friends with Izzy. He’s a good guy.” Izzy blinked as Amy focused on him. It was an odd feeling, being pinned down by those eyes. They seemed to look past him into some strange otherworld and land on secrets.

Then something shifted, and she was no different than anyone else in the room. “Okay, Tai.” Izzy shook his head to clear it. Captain Morgan was having just a little too much fun with him, it seemed.

Izzy watched as Tai made another beer triangle on the other side of the table. “May I ask what you’re doing?”

“It’s beer pong, Izzy” Amy explained. Her eyes widened, and she rocked in her seat, flailing to catch Matt’s attention, nearly knocking the chair over. Gasping, Izzy took hold of the back of it, keeping her upright, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Matt, Matt. This is Izzy. That’s Joe over there, dancing with Mimi. They’re nice. They’re smart, they like computers and…and doctors. Izzy, this is Matt, he’s the best, he’s a rock star, even though he plays the bass. And I’m Amy.”

Matt and Tai snorted at the exact same time, and Izzy couldn’t help but smile, too, despite the fact that he had already heard her make the same mistake. He wondered just how strong Tai had poured her drink. She was clearly much further along in her intoxication than he was.

“‘Even though I play the bass,’ huh,” Matt echoed, shaking his head. Amy smiled hesitantly, not quite understanding what he was saying.

Tai pulled two bottles of water out of the pockets of his cargo shorts, placing one on either side of the table. “Two questions,” Izzy said. “First, would you happen to have another bottle of water? And, second, could someone kindly tell me what beer pong is?”

“Beer pong is for making you drunk,” Amy said, nodding her head sagely. “And you talk funny. You sound kinda like Mr. Darcy. I like it!” Tai and Matt were both laughing, but Izzy maintained a neutral expression. He was used to people commenting on his formal way of speaking, but it was rare for someone to approve of it.

“Could you provide more specifics?” he asked, choosing not to comment on the rest of what she had said.

“You won’t get very far with her when she’s drunk,” Matt said. “In beer pong, you take turns trying to throw a ping pong ball into the other person’s beers. If you get the ball in the beer, the other person has to drink it. Then they put the empty cup back. If you throw a ball into an empty cup, then you have to drink one of your own beers. The first person to run out of beer loses.”

Izzy pressed a hand to his chin and furrowed his brow. “So, the more you play, the more difficult the game becomes. There’s something almost poetic about that. What is the function of the water?” He had finished his rum and coke, and he was parched. Izzy often forgot to eat, but he drank water and bottled tea constantly.

“So you can wash the ball if it bounces off the table,” Tai said. Izzy blanched and glanced down at the carpet. It was stained and threadbare. People had probably vomited and had sex on it.

“Yes,” he said, staring at the floor. Was that a blood stain he saw? “Because water is known for its remarkable sterilizing properties.”

Amy blinked at him, then started laughing so hard that her face went red. Eventually she stopped making sound at all, unable to produce noise with so little air left in her lungs. Izzy stared, and he found himself joining Tai and Matt in their responding laughter. Rarely had he seen something more ridiculous looking than drunken Amy in hysterics.

“You…are…so…funny!” Amy choked. “You should tell jokes in the student union.” This had Tai in particular doubling over and pressing his hands to his stomach.

“Oh, God,” he choked, “my stomach hurts!” Shaking his bushy head, he rested his palms on the table, using it to support his upper body. Finally, he drew back and grinned at Izzy.

“So, Izzy, how about it? You and Joe verses Matt and me, huh?”

“Should we interrupt his friend?” Matt asked. Izzy followed Matt’s eyes and saw that Joe did look pretty happy, at least by his standards.

Izzy leaned closer to Tai, intending to make it clear that he had no desire to play beer pong, but Amy raised her hand and downed the last of her drink in one huge swig. “Pick me, pick me! I’ll play with Izzy!”

Tai smiled and ruffled her hair, and she hissed and tried to wriggle away. “You hate beer, Amy, remember?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Bleeeeeh, beer. But I wanna be on Izzy’s team…” Izzy had no idea why Amy had decided that he was her new buddy. _Don’t worry about it. It’s likely just a drunken impulse._

“Actually, I happen to share Amy’s opinion on the subject of beer, so I’ll have to decline, as well.” Tai crossed his arms and fixed him with a hard, challenging stare, and Izzy narrowed his eyes warily.

“So far, you’ve hidden in the corner and had a sip of rum. You need to do more than that to get the party experience. Either start dancing or start playing. Your choice.”

“A sip?” Izzy echoed incredulously. “There was plenty in that cup, thank you, and you’ll notice I’m holding it quite well.” Annoyance was building rapidly under his buzz, and it was driving his mind to thoughts that he normally wouldn’t have considered, to emotions that he normally would have squelched down. He wanted to shove Tai’s arrogant face in it, but how?

“That was nothing,” Tai replied. “I’ve had more than twice what you’ve had, and I could still kick your ass at beer pong!”

Izzy walked to an end of the table and placed his palms on its surface. “We’ll see about that.” This was stupid, _very_ stupid. Tai was bigger than him and seemed to have much more experience drinking, so his tolerance was doubtlessly higher. But, if he really had ingested as much alcohol as he said, then his hand-eye coordination might be impaired enough already to give Izzy an edge.

A slow, lazy grin appeared on Tai’s face, and he took the opposite end of the table. “That’s what I like to hear!” he said. “Let’s just get rid of three of these cups, then.”

“No,” Izzy said, and there was an odd chill to his voice. “Keep all six.” If he was going to go down, he would do so in blazing glory, and he would drag Tai’s domineering ass down with him, damn it. A tiny, rational voice in his mind asked what was glorious about spending the night curled up like a miserable hedgehog at the foot of a toilet, waiting to barf into it, but he ignored it.

“Uh, Izzy,” Matt said, turning towards him. “You might want to reconsider that. Do you really want to drink six beers in twenty minutes?”

“Not in the least,” Izzy scoffed, “but I’ll do it to wipe that obnoxious grin off Tai’s face. And I also have a wager to propose. If I win, Tai has to stop badgering me. _Permanently_.”

There was a stunned silence, and Matt and Tai shared wide-eyed looks. “I like him more and more,” Amy said.

“Me, too,” Tai and Matt said as one. Izzy colored slightly, sensing that he was being teased by the boys. He had wanted to sound serious, but apparently nothing he said was worth taking to heart. _That’s it,_ he thought, wrapping his fingers around the edge of the table so hard that his knuckles turned white. _I am going to win this._

Tai pulled a ping pong ball out of his pocket and smiled. “And if I win, you have to dance until the party is over… Naked.” Amy’s eyes popped. Although Izzy agreed with the sentiment, he tried to keep his expression impassive. Memories rose, reminding him what someone from his past had thought of his body. None of it was remotely kind. He swallowed hard, trying to force down rising bile.

Amy was staring at him again with those distant, far-seeing eyes. She leaned towards her cousin and tugged on his shirt. “That’s too mean! Izzy is shy. Just make him take his shirt off.” Izzy swallowed his relieved sigh. That would be bad enough, but he could live with it.

Tai frowned at her thoughtfully. “Alright, alright, fine. You’re lucky she’s taken a weird shine to you, man.” He grabbed one of the bottles of water and told Amy to drink it. She complained, but ultimately obeyed. Izzy watched with equal parts envy and confusion. He was desperate for some water, for one. And he had no idea why Amy was so submissive.

“I’d feel more fortunate if you hadn’t,” Izzy muttered, and then he realized that he had said it out loud. Grimacing, he stared into the six beers in front of him, and his temper slipped further. They smelled horrible. Why would anyone drink this stuff?

Tai split the other water bottle between the two empty cups, and Izzy knew there was no going back now. Tai tossed the ping pong ball up and down a few times, grinning in that annoyingly confident way, then made his first throw. It sank into the cup at the top of Izzy’s triangle.

Izzy pulled the ball out and dropped it in the water cup, just for somewhere to put it. Then, trying not to think about it, he grabbed the beer and drank. The beer was bitter and had a weird, bread-like aftertaste. He shuddered and smacked his mouth, as if that would clear his palate.

“That was absolutely foul.” Amy applauded, and a few people joined her. Izzy suddenly realized that the game had drawn attention, and strangers were watching the proceedings, crowding around the table. _Pro-freaking-digious_. Sighing, he picked up the ball and took aim.

“Tai’s gonna trash this shrimp,” someone slurred, laughing. Izzy rolled his eyes. He always assumed that the fraternity bro accent was a comical exaggeration for the benefit of webcomics and sitcoms, but apparently there really were people who spoke that way.

_We’ll see about that. I rather doubt Tai is as well versed in physics as I am._ He could roughly calculate the angle of the throw and the force he would need to get the ball where he wanted it, but the problem was the execution. He wasn’t sure how to throw it as required, but it was still more information than Tai had.

He threw the ball, and it flew true, sinking into a cup in the back row of Tai’s triangle. And it went on like that, each of them forcing the other to drink every round amid drunken cheers. Izzy was beginning to feel sick, for two reasons. The first was that Tai had gone first, which meant that he would win if he didn’t miss a shot soon. The second was that he had downed four beers in about ten minutes, and they were heavy in his stomach, sloshing around like polluted water.

Finally, they were each down to one beer, and Tai was preparing his throw. Izzy held his breath as the ball arched, looking anywhere but at Tai’s shark-like smile. There was a faint sound of an impact, and Izzy realized that the ball had bounced into an empty cup, where it sat with a strong sense of finality.

There was a loud “Ooooh!”, as if this were a football game and Tai had fumbled. To his credit, Tai took his defeat with good humor, shrugging and downing his last beer.

“Well,” he said to Izzy as other people nudged them aside, eager to have their own game, “I guess you’re free to go home now. I can’t believe that was your first game of beer pong…”

“Izzy’s gonna leave?” Amy echoed. Blinking, Izzy realized that she had attached herself to Tai’s arm when the crowd surged in and pushed them aside. “Can I leave, too? I really hafta pee, but I don’t wanna go here.” She glanced around her cousin and smiled. “You were cool, Izzy. I mean… Well, beer pong is kinda stupid, I think? But you were all, like, ‘I can take you down, Tai!’ and it was cool.”

Tai frowned at her. “Hey, whose side are you on, here, anyway?” Amy pressed a hand to her mouth and giggled. Tai shook his bushy head and waved at Matt, catching his friend’s eye. He quickly explained that Amy wanted to leave, and Matt nodded and fell into stride with the two of them. Tai patted Amy’s back and disappeared into the crowd.

“That was great,” Matt said. “He’s my friend, but it’s always fun to see Tai taken down a notch. And it’s good for him, you know?”

“Uh, thanks,” Izzy muttered. He didn’t feel much like a winner, despite the triumph still running through him. More than anything, he felt nauseous. “I’ll be heading back now, too, so…”

“Walk with us!” Amy chirped. Izzy stared at her, unsure of how to behave in the face of such open friendliness.

“Um, alright,” he said, pulling his cell out. “Let me contact Joe. I don’t see him anywhere.” But his call and text went unanswered, so, in the end, he left the party with Amy and Matt, feeling grateful for the cool night air, the quiet, and the lilting sound of Amy’s voice as she prattled in a circular, drunken manner.

Maybe parties weren’t so terrible after all, but he had no desire to attend another soon.


	4. Headaches and Roommates

**Headaches and Roommates**

Amy had a nice time walking home with Matt and Izzy, chattering about whatever floated through her head. Soon, they were in their dorm elevator and saying goodbye to Izzy. He looked a bit green about the gills, probably because of all the beer.

“I’m sorry about the beer, Izzy!” she called as Matt half-dragged her out of the elevator. “Please play with us again, even though Tai can be… Tai.” The doors were closing, so she hastened to clarify, raising her voice. “I don’t mean play beer pong! You can pick the game next time!” But there was no answer, so she sighed and struggled to work her feet in time with Matt’s.

When they passed the restrooms, she slipped inside. Matt was waiting outside when she finished, and he led her to her room. Amy was distantly aware of a few girls watching her with jealous eyes, but she was too drunk to understand why.

She tried to unlock her door, but she had an embarrassing amount of trouble doing that while sober. Sighing, Matt took the keys and opened it. She hopped through the portal and spun around on her fluffy area rug, smiling at Matt as he dug through her night stand.

He gave her the case for her contacts. Amy pressed her pointer and thumb to her right eye, then squeaked with pain as she misjudged the distance and poked herself. Matt tried and failed to suppress an amused snort. She frowned and had another go, and this time the contact came free. She dropped it in the holder and removed the other.

Matt handed her her glasses, then shuffled through her mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Amy scowled. “Tai made me drink some already.”

“And now I’m making you drink some more.” His tone was so reasonable that Amy wanted to kick him, but she was too wobbly to risk it.

“Don’t paw through my clothes,” Amy said, trying and failing to twist the cap off. She tilted the bottle and gnawed on the lid, which somehow seemed like the next reasonable step.

Matt took the bottle with a snort of laughter and twisted the cap off. “I put pajamas on the dresser. Drink the water. I’m going back to my room now, alright?”

“Oh,” Amy sighed. “I want to talk about Izzy and Joe.” One of Matt’s eyebrows rose, and Amy giggled, although she wasn’t sure why it was so funny.

“What about them?” There were layers to his tone that she couldn’t understand, try as she might.

“I liked them. Did you?” She tilted her head, but her sense of balance was warped, and her shoulders followed the movement. Matt grabbed her, tipped her upright again, and lead her to her bed. She sat when he pressed on her shoulders.

“They seemed like nice guys. Maybe a little dull, though. What, are you interested in one of them?” Amy tried to blow a raspberry, but she just ended up throwing spittle at Matt. He grimaced and wiped his face with his sleeve.

“Nooooooo,” she sang, smacking his shoulder. Or, at least, she _tried_ to, but she aimed too low and got his chest instead. Something about this was hysterical, and she fell back on the bed and started laughing.

“Next time, I’ll make your drink,” Matt said, rolling his eyes. “Tai overdid it.”

“Will I get hung over?” Amy asked. Concern cut through the pleasant haze of alcohol around her brain.

Matt shook his head. “You’ll be fine if you drink the water.”

“Mmmkaaaaay.” Amy heard her voice lilt over the elongated word, but she hadn’t chosen to sing it like that. Matt pressed the mouth of the water bottle to her lips, and she drank.

He patted her shoulder and stepped towards the door. “Good night.”

“Night Matt. Thanks.” He nodded and slipped out of the room. Amy downed the rest of the water, then threw the empty bottle at her little trash can. It hit the wall, missing by a mile. Amy frowned, but realized that she ought to recycle it, anyway. She hauled herself to her feet to change, pick the bottle up for proper disposal, and address hygienic needs in the community bathroom. Then she returned to her room, locked the door, and went to sleep.

It felt like she had just drifted off when someone shook her awake. Amy opened her eyes, but it was too dark to see, and the alcohol clouded her limited sensory input. She couldn’t identify the figure standing over her.

“Matt?” she guessed. Her eyes adjusted enough to determine that the stranger wasn’t him. Tears burned her eyes as she struggled to escape. Fear and intoxication hobbled her, pinning her down as surely as restraints. “W-who are you?!” she choked.

“I’m a friend of Sarah’s,” the figure replied. “Sarah’s sick. She needs new clothes. Which dresser is hers?”

Amy blinked and pointed, hardly able to digest the encounter. The girl searched the dresser, removed some items, and left. Amy scrambled to her feet, locked the door, and threw herself back under her blanket, pulling it over her head.

Her breathing was heavy and loud as she worked through her emotions. Why was her roommate handing out her dorm key and sending people Amy didn’t know to wake her? She fumed for a while, but she would have no answers until she spoke to Sarah. Sighing, Amy popped her head out of her blanket cocoon and tried to calm down and sleep.

It was still dark when she was jerked awake a second time. A warm body, breathing heavily and reeking of beer, was sliding on top of her, pinning her down. Horror obliterated Amy’s thoughts, and she pushed the invader with all of her strength. The shadowy form collapsed on the rug, crumpled and unmoving. Amy squinted at the faint patch of moonlight on the floor.

“Sarah?” It was definitely her roommate, but why had she tried to get into Amy’s bed? There was no response, and Amy’s anxiety shifted from one form to another. “Are you okay?”

There was still no answer. Sarah’s chest was moving in deep, shuddering breaths, but she didn’t seem to hear or even notice Amy. Amy worried her lower lip and scrunched up her sheets with her fists. Was this what alcohol poisoning looked like? She had never seen someone drunk enough to go unresponsive before.

It was possible that Sarah needed medical attention, but if Amy alerted an adult to her condition, then the girl could be punished. Sarah was already popular in the dorm, which meant that Amy would be committing social suicide by trying to get her help. Worse yet, she had no way of knowing if Sarah actually _needed_ it.

Amy was about to tip Sarah’s head to the side so she couldn’t choke on her vomit when the girl groaned. The sound of spreading liquid filled the room, followed by the burning stench of ammonia. Amy squeaked and threw herself to the far edge of her bed, as far from Sarah as possible.

Though it seemed impossible, there was only one explanation: her roommate had just peed all over her new area rug.

Amy worked her mouth, but no sounds came out. Not knowing what else to do, and determined not to step in the spreading dark spot on the rug, Amy reluctantly kept vigil over her roommate.

She kept watch for almost two hours before Sarah stirred and climbed into her own bed. Amy sagged against her mattress, weak with relief. Since Sarah seemed alright, she grabbed a robe, slippers, her cell phone, and her key. She left her room and called the front desk to find out which RA was on duty. She was going to talk to someone about this nonsense _right now_.

Soon she was banging on an RA’s door, and the older girl opened it and stared at her with wide eyes. It was her floor’s RA, and the girl had probably already pegged her as the quiet type. That impression might soon change.

“Rachel, I need to talk to you.”

“Come in, have a seat.” Rachel gestured towards the futon pressed against the wall. Amy nodded and sank onto it, but she had no idea where to start. The RA wouldn’t report Sarah, so that wasn’t a concern, but the catastrophe was so surreal that she didn’t know how to talk about it.

Finally, she decided to go with bluntness. “Sarah got super drunk and peed on my rug.” Rachel’s eyes popped, and Amy’s strained emotions burst through her control. Without knowing why, she was laughing uncontrollably. Doubling over, she pressed her hands to her mouth, but her amusement quickly drained. She remembered the fear of having a stranger in her room at night, of someone climbing in her bed, the indecision and the worry, the disgust, the long vigil, her lack of sleep. A giggle morphed to a sob with a hitched gurgle in between the two.

Rachel patted her back and tried to console her with meaningless phrases from RA training, but what Amy wanted was a new roommate. They disliked each other anyway, and she wasn’t going to room with someone who handed out her keys whenever she got drunk. She explained all of this with care to Rachel, but the RA insisted that she could not switch roommates, citing school rules.

“What if I find someone else who wants to switch?” Amy demanded. Rachel gave a noncommittal answer, and Amy decided to talk to the person in charge of the dorm. She broke off the conversation and stood to leave.

Rachel called her back in before she could escape. “You need to throw that rug out right now. It’s a health hazard.”

“I’ll tell Sarah.” But when she returned to her room, Sarah was gone. The puddle of urine was mostly absorbed by the fibers of the rug, forming a circular dark spot. The room smelled horrendous, like a thousand litter boxes. Amy gagged and backed into the hallway, then slammed the door and whipped out her cell phone. She flipped through her contacts and selected Tai’s name.

The phone rang several times before he picked up. “Amy,” he groaned, his voice heavy with sleep and drink. “What the hell. It’s like the butt crack of dawn.”

“I need your help.”

“Then get down here.” The annoyance vanished from his tone, but the slurring remained. Amy went to the staircase and descended a flight. She knocked on Tai’s door, and he opened it, wearing nothing but sweatpants, a scowl, and the stench of beer.

Amy stepped inside and watched Matt sit up in his bed. His hair was pressed at an infinite number of odd angles, and Amy took one look at him and broke out laughing. She was so upset that her amusement progressed to hysterics. The boys shared a concerned look.

Matt chucked a pillow at her, and she caught it and took a seat at his feet. “That’s what I get after walking you home?” he said. “What happened? You look like you saw a ghost.”

“What I saw,” Amy said, gasping for breath around laughter that sounded like sobbing, “was Sarah peeing all over my rug. And it was such a cute rug!”

Tai stumbled on his way back to his bed. “W-what?!”

“You heard me!” Amy half-shouted. “It’s a straightforward statement! And she handed out her room key, and someone I don’t know was in my room while I was sleeping! And she was so drunk, she thought my bed was _her_ bed, and she climbed into it, and for a moment I thought-”

Amy’s stream of words stopped as abruptly as it started, and all signs of amusement disappeared. She buried her face in her hands and whimpered, not caring that the boys were seeing her raw, naked fear. Then Tai was kneeling in front of her, and that Matt had scooted closer. Amy pressed Matt’s pillow against her front and tried to look anywhere but at their faces, which were set in strained expressions of mixed pity and anger.

“You need a new roommate,” Matt said. “You can’t share personal space with someone you can’t trust.”

“The RA said stuff about it not being allowed so early in the semester,” Amy said miserably, “but I’m going to talk to the head of the dorm.”

“We’ll come with you. If he still won’t allow it, we can tell him why… Why this scares you so much.” Tai squeezed her knees and looked away, and Amy placed her hands on his. Her vision blurred with hot, stinging tears. That day still seemed so recent, and, really, it should. It had been, what, four months?

Amy took a deep, steadying breath. “Thank you. I… still can’t talk about it. But… I have another problem, too. The RA said I have to throw the rug out, but Sarah disappeared, and I can’t carry it on my own, it’s too big and heavy.”

Tai recoiled and shared a horrified look with Matt. “Oh, God,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead. “Awesome. Okay. Greeeaaat. Amy, that can wait until a decent hour, right?”

Amy grimaced. “It’s just, I can’t go back to my room. It smells like the stairways to the subways in New York.”

“No problem,” Tai said. “Just crash here for a few hours.” He got up and collapsed on his bed, then scooted to the far side. Amy raised a brow, handed Matt his pillow, and stood.

“We won’t fit.” She frowned and pressed her hands to her hips, desperately trying to use her irritation to banish her fear and misery.

“Squeeze in, just like old times.” Amy smiled despite herself. She still remembered sharing a bed with both Tai and Kari when she visited them as a small child. The comfort of being near Tai, whom she saw as the world’s most powerful and capable person back then, and Kari, whom she saw as an angel, was a powerful feeling that she would carry forever. She held that image in her mind as she settled in beside him.

“You didn’t smell like cheap beer back then,” she complained as he lifted his comforter over her. Matt snorted, and Tai cracked a grin that morphed into an annoyed scowl.

“Shut up and sleep.” Amy frowned and pressed herself against him, since that was the only way for her to fit on the twin bed.

At first, the feeling of a half-naked male body against hers, particularly one that smelled of alcohol and sweat, caused a rush of panic. Tai fell asleep long before she did, and the familiar sound of his snoring soothed her. Then she noticed his body scent below the frat house odors, and that eased away the rest of her fear.

She was safe here. Tai was right beside her, Matt was a few feet away, and a solid hunk of wood and a thick metal latch stood between them and the rest of the world. Security warmed her much more than the blanket thrown over her, and she slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Elsewhere, Previously**

**_(_ ** _This scene opens by stepping back in time to when Amy and Matt say goodbye to Izzy after the party.)_

Izzy waited for the elevator to reach his floor with a hand pressed to his mouth. Amy had shouted something about wanting him to spend more time with her group as the elevator closed, but he was cursing them all at the moment. The beers churned in his gut. There were five of them in there, coating a layer of rum, all swallowed in about twelve minutes.

When the elevator doors opened, he bolted out, throwing back the door to the men’s room and finding it mercifully empty. There was no time to lock the stall door behind him. That voice of dry, sardonic humor in his head noted that beer didn’t taste much worse coming back up than it did going down.

When he finished heaving into the bowl, he fought his body’s urge to collapse on the bathroom floor. He flushed the toilet, washed his hands and mouth, and trudged to his room.

The allure of the oblivion of sleep beckoned him to bed. Izzy performed his bedtime rituals, then pulled back the comforter and slipped in. Usually it took him a while to fall asleep, because his mind kept chugging along even as he lay in the dark, but tonight he was out like a light.

The last sensation he was aware of was a sense of victory from beating Tai at his own game, followed by a flitting image of Amy’s eyes, floating out of the darkness like twin fireflies.

 _I’m drunker than I thought,_ he told himself, and then his mind drifted beyond his grasp.

**Hours Later**

When Izzy woke up, the sun was much higher than it normally was when he rose. Frowning, he reached for the cell phone on his nightstand. His mouth dropped open when he saw that it was past eleven in the morning.

He went to Joe, who was sleeping in his bed, and gently shook his shoulder. His friend focused on his face by degrees. “Joe, wake up. It’s after eleven.”

Joe’s dark eyes widened. “What! I was planning to review a chapter of organic chemistry by now!” He hopped out of bed and opened his closet, removing his bucket full of shower supplies and his shower shoes. “I can’t believe it, I go to one party and I turn into a sloven!”

“When did you get back?” Izzy asked, going to his own closet.

“Hmm, I’m not sure how late it was. A few hours after you?” Joe made a frustrated noise as he tugged on a shirt and the hanger clattered to the floor.

“I apologize for leaving without you,” Izzy said, lifting a folded shirt from his closet organizer. “I couldn’t find you.”

“Yes, well. I was in another room with Mimi.”

Izzy’s hands jerked, and his shirt fluttered to the floor. He could feel his eyes widening, and Joe glanced over at him and blanched.

“Geez, Izzy, get your mind out of the gutter! We were just talking.” Joe folded a towel over his arm and huffed.

“Well,” Izzy said, bending to retrieve his shirt, “you ought to take more care with your phrasing, then.” He sighed with relief as his world view shifted back to normal. It would have taken hours to reconcile himself to a reality where Joe slept with a stranger at a frat house.

Still, Izzy found himself in uncharted territory. He had known Joe since kindergarten. With the exception of one or two silent, aching, unrealized attachments in high school, Joe had never shown strong interest in a particular girl. Should he tease him, make inquiries, or ignore it? He found himself bitterly wishing for more social awareness. Typically, he wasn’t concerned with what people thought of him, didn’t mind if he fumbled an encounter. But he wanted to provide Joe with the appropriate response.

After a slight interim, he went with teasing. “Well, to use the vernacular… Did you score digits?” Joe sputtered, then sighed.

“I wanted to ask, but I guess I chickened out.” He began to undress, removing his shirt first, then wrapping his towel around his waist and slipping his pajama bottoms and underwear off beneath it. Izzy looked away and did the same, sighing internally at the daily awkwardness that was sharing a tiny room. “But, you know, Mimi’s friends with Amy, right?”

“I’m not sure,” Izzy said, frowning. “They certainly looked happy to see each other, but I don’t think Amy was too pleased with being kissed.” Joe colored before his eyes, and Izzy shook his head. He wasn’t sure what it was about girls kissing that made men stare, slack jawed and stiff.

“Well, they were drunk. I’m sure they’re friends. Mimi talked about her a little, and she seemed to think pretty highly of her. Anyway, you liked Amy, right? Maybe you can ask her… You know… The two of us could do something with the two of them, through her?”

“ _Liked_ her?” Izzy echoed. His panic and distaste at the thought of another social encounter so soon after the last put him on the defensive. “What is this, grade school? If you want to spend time with Mimi, approach her on your own. I have no interest in a staged double date. On the off chance that Amy accepted, I’d only be leading her on.”

They headed to the bathroom for showers, and Joe’s silence probably indicated that he was unhappy with him. Izzy sighed as he slipped into a claustrophobic, hair-strewn shower stall, removed the towel, and hung it on the single hook on the outer wall. The stream of water started up cold and with low pressure. As he waited for it to warm, pressing his body away from the icy drops, he reflected that women really were more trouble than they were worth.

**Elsewhere**

Amy stared at the tiny slip of paper in her hands and sighed. The man in charge of the dorm had repeated that roommate swaps weren’t permitted this early in the semester, but he relented, looking more horrified than he probably realized, when Tai and Matt explained her situation.

She fought back tears. Hearing that story retold had been difficult. Most days, Amy pushed those memories back as much as possible, and she was able to function well enough. But the problem with this coping mechanism was that the fear, pain, and heartbreak would return suddenly, in violent bursts, whenever a boy she didn’t trust came too close. And it just so happened that colleges were full of virile young men who couldn’t control their mouths half the time, let alone their libidos.

Amy began to pace fitfully about the room. Sarah still hadn’t returned, so she, Matt, and Tai had thrown the rug out by themselves after meeting with the dorm head. The boys went directly to take showers, but she stayed in her room, scrubbing the floor with disinfectant for the better part of an hour. The windows were open, and she could hear boys in nearby rooms playing video games and cursing. Somehow, their shouting compelled her to clean some more, so she grabbed her Lysol and got to work. Another half hour passed before the neurotic energy dripped out of her body, and she took a long shower, applying the same exacting care to cleaning her body.

When she finally returned to her room, her eyes fell on the scrap of paper again. It contained the phone number of another girl who had requested a roommate switch. The dorm manager had advised Amy to meet her and see if they were compatible.

Nerves rolled over her, causing vibrations like playing her acoustic guitar too loudly. What were the odds that this stranger would be better than Sarah? Amy had no idea, but there was only one way to find out. And so, feeling uncertain and shaky, she punched the numbers into her mobile and pressed it to her ear.

When the girl answered, Amy cleared her throat, unsure of how to begin. “Um, hello. I know this is random, but… My name is Amy. I just spoke to the head of my dorm, and he gave me your number, because you’ve apparently talked to him about switching roommates? I need a new one, too, and he said that if we preferred each other to our current roommates…” She trailed off, her usual glibness lost beneath her uneasiness.

“Um, I see. Well… I’m actually in my room right now. Do you have a moment? We could talk. What floor are you on?”

“Oh, no!” Amy cried. “Let me come to you. My room still smells funny.” Then she smacked her forehead and sighed. “I’ll explain that later.”

“Um… alright. I’m on the fourth floor. My name is Sora.”

“Sora?” Amy echoed. “As in, Japanese for sky?”

There was a shocked pause. “Well, yes. Do you speak Japanese?”

Amy laughed. “I wish! No, I mean, I just know a few words. Anyway, I’m on the fourth floor too, I’ll come over!” With that, she ended the call and wandered the hallway until she found a door labeled Sora. She knocked, and it opened a moment later.

Sora had red-brown hair that flipped flirtatiously outward around her neck. Her eyes, like Mimi’s, were reddish brown. High cheekbones gave her face a diamond shape, and her lips were delicate and full.

“Hi,” Amy said, suddenly feeling shy. Something about Sora made her feel like she should be on her best behavior. Amy averted her eyes, and she noticed that her frame was much like Mimi’s, petite and slim, but firm with muscles, particularly in the legs.

Sora smiled and stepped away from the door, allowing her inside. Amy froze just beyond the threshold, fighting the urge to rub her eyes. Half of the room was tidy and tastefully decorated. The bed had a comforter in a neutral shade, covered with delicate irises on thin, winding branches. There was an itty bonsai tree on the desk in a glazed blue pot. Delicate glass wind chimes hung from the pipes in the ceiling, round baubles with a single ringer hanging from each. Posters on the walls depicted athletes, and there was a small collection of soccer balls, tennis rackets, and other sports equipment in the corner of the open closet.

The other half of the room was a catastrophe, with clothing and half-eaten cafeteria food strewn about. The bed was unmade, and a massive collection of empty soda cans littered the desk and the floor. Random brick-a-brack, ranging from a nodding chihuahua to a troll doll with stained hair, took up the remaining surfaces. Amy made a strangled sound and stepped back.

“I swear I’ve met you before,” Sora said. She sat on the edge of the iris bed and pulled out her desk chair. Amy cautiously approached and sat, unable to tear her eyes away from the mess on the opposite end of the room. Then Sora’s words penetrated her mind, and she faced her with effort.

“I’m afraid I don’t remember you.”

“Hmm… Well, you’ve probably realized why I would like to switch.”

Amy nodded. “No kidding. Um, I think something is moving in that Chinese takeout box.” Sora groaned and covered her face with her palm. “It’s okay,” Amy said, standing up. “I’m not afraid of mice or bugs.” She made her way to the box and cautiously peeked into it. “Okay! Okay, yeah, that is a _big_ cockroach. _Wow._ We’ll just, you know, smash it.” She folded the lid shut, and Sora grimaced as she passed, but didn’t shrink back. Amy went to the hallway, put the box down, stomped on it a few times, then threw the crunched container in the hall’s trashcan. She washed her hands in the restroom before returning to Sora’s room.

“Thanks,” Sora said. She began to hum in an undertone, as if to soothe herself, but Amy was too far away to identify the song.

Amy grinned. “No worries. I’m a biologist; we’re tough.” As she returned to the chair, she was better able to hear Sora’s nervous humming, and she gasped with delight. “You like The Teenage Wolves?!”

Sora blinked, blushed, and stared into her lap. “Well, I… Yes. It’s kind of a guilty pleasure, you know, loving a boy band so much, but I do. I went to as many of the shows as I could, even though I didn’t go to the same high school as them. I even have the CD with me.” She laughed nervously, as if she expected to be teased, but that was the last thing on Amy’s agenda.

“You have the CD?!” Amy echoed. “Can I see it?” Sora gave her a baffled look, then rose and pulled a crate out from under her bed. She extracted the CD and handed it over, and Amy took it and grinned. “Excuse me a moment,” she said, and she pulled her cell out and texted Matt.

 _You in your room?_ she typed.

Fortunately, a reply materialized. _Yeah._

_Gonna drop by._

“Come with me,” Amy said. “Believe me, you’ll want to see this.”

Sora gave her a confused look. “Um, where are we going?” She asked as she followed her out of the room. Amy paused long enough to let her lock her door, then continued on her way.

“Just to the third floor. Trust me, you’ll love it.” This only seemed to make Sora more uncomfortable, but she squared her shoulders and followed, and Amy felt a rush of approval. She would have asked a lot more questions and made a fuss, herself, and she admired Sora’s willingness to play along.

Soon, she was opening the door to Matt and Tai’s room. Tai was out, probably playing sports or at the gym, but Matt was strumming his bass on his bed. Amy placed a hand on Sora’s back and nudged her into the room, and the girl gasped and colored violently when she saw Matt.

“I brought you a fan!” Amy sang, handing the CD over. “Why don’t you be a gent and sign this for her?” Matt stared up at Sora, and Amy tilted her head at the expression that passed his face. A spark seemed to go off in his eyes, a faint twitch that she had never seen before. Amy wondered if she should have warned Matt and Sora before springing this on them, because they both seemed so surprised, but she had assumed that this would be more fun.

“Oh my gosh!” Sora said, pressing her palms to her face. “You’re Matt! And you!” She turned back to Amy. “This is where I know you from! You sing the girl’s part in _Hidden Love_!”

“That’s me!” Amy chirped. Although they hadn’t made much of an impact on the world at large, The Teenage Wolves were well known locally, and Amy had an awesome time working with them on that song. The band was broken up now, with its members going to different colleges, but Matt was looking to start a new group.

“Do you really want me to sign this?” Matt asked. Sora nodded, threading her fingers through her short hair all the while. “What’s your name?” He plucked a marker out of the pen holder on his desk and opened the CD case.

“Sora.” She leaned over his shoulder and watched him write.

“Sora, how did you end up getting dragged around by Amy?” Amy laughed and crossed her arms, but Matt’s focus remained on Sora.

“We’re going to be roommates,” she explained. “I mean, we may be roommates. If she likes me.”

Matt’s eyes widened. He caught Amy’s eye and nodded, as if to communicate his approval. Amy fought an urge to roll her eyes. As much as she appreciated Matt and Tai’s concern for her, she didn’t need their permission to choose a new roommate.

Amy noticed Sora’s implied acceptance of her, and she wondered if it was because she liked her or because she could stroll into the dorm room of a local celebrity. She opened her mouth to say something, but Matt had returned his attention to Sora, and they were chatting about the shows she had attended, about music, about what it was like to be in a band, and on and on. As the conversation continued, Amy wondered if she had made a tactical error here, and if it was okay for her to retreat now that they were engrossed in each other.

Amy stepped back, and the movement must have caught Sora’s eye, because she broke off the conversation and turned to her. “Oh, we should talk about being roommates, shouldn’t we? I’m sorry I got so distracted.”

“No, that was my fault. I brought you here.”

“Maybe we could get lunch and talk?” Sora suggested. “I’m getting pretty hungry.” Amy nodded, and Matt slipped his hands into his pockets.

“You ladies mind if I join?” he asked, and Amy swallowed a laugh at the charm he was infusing his voice with. Matt was usually distant and introverted, but sometimes his cool stage persona rose in conversation. His body movements instantly grew more fluid, his posture more self-assured.

 _Poser,_ Amy thought, but with deep affection. Boys were so silly.

Sora had no objection, and Amy certainly didn’t, so their little group hiked to the cafeteria for a rousing chat on roommate compatibility.

**Two Days Later**

“Thanks, Tai, Matt, but I can manage on my own.” Matt snorted as Amy picked up Sora’s printer and began to carry it out of the room, trailing the cords behind her. He picked up the cords and twisted them loosely around her arm. She smiled nervously.

“See, you’re too clumsy for this sort of thing. You probably would have tripped over those wires,” Tai scolded. Matt kept his face clear of expression by pure force of will. This was one of the benefits of hanging out with Tai; although he had more tact than he used to, he would still often say whatever he felt like saying, regardless of what the other person would think of it. That meant that what had to be said was said, and the hurt feelings went to Tai. Then, assuming the person was close to both of them, Matt would slip in and smooth things over.

But Amy was apparently in too good a mood over having Sora finalized as her roommate to feel hurt, because she just shrugged. “I wouldn’t have tripped, but it’s not nice to drag her cords around, so thanks. Anyway, this is Sora’s stuff, not mine. If you want to help, you should ask her, since you’ll be handling her stuff.” She nodded, as if she had just settled the matter to its fullest capacity before the authorities, then continued down the hall.

When she wandered through the end of this section of the hall and opened the door to a common room, Tai frowned. “Do you get the feeling she’s trying to push us away?” His brown eyes seemed to darken with concern.

Matt sighed and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I figured she would only let us fuss for so long,” he said. “But… I still feel like I should. I still need to.” The muscles in his face tightened involuntarily, and he fought to smooth them back out.

“I know,” Tai replied. “I know she’s not completely over it, or healed, or whatever, and I’m not sure if anyone ever fully does. So why refuse our help? I don’t understand.” He worked his hands through his bushy hair, puffing it out to an even greater size.

Matt sighed and raised a hand to the back of his neck. Sometimes, Tai seemed to intuitively know what other people needed, but most of the time he was clueless, especially when the person was someone he really cared for. Often, his desire to keep them protected and safe outweighed his ability to see what they needed in a given moment.

“Look,” Matt sighed. “She puts her pride on the shelf with us most of the time, because she loves us. But she won’t do it forever. She knows when she needs us and when she can manage on her own. After all, she came to us for comfort the other night, and she let us talk to the dorm manager, right? We should let her make the calls on when to accept our help.”

He took a deep, shaking breath, preparing to say the part that hurt. “And this is about what _she_ needs, not about what _we_ need. Even though…” His paused, unable to say more.

Tai averted his eyes and bunched his shoulders, a sure sign that he was equal parts guilty and annoyed. “See, you say that. But you feel the same way I do! It’s our fault. She came to us for help, and we blew her off, just because we were having too good of a time to be bothered…!” His hands bunched into fists. Matt grabbed his arm and looked him in the eye.

“Don’t think about that now. Amy and Sora will be back any moment.”

“Shit,” Tai said roughly, pressing his palm to his forehead. “Yeah.” He breathed deeply and dropped his hand, and the worst signs of his distress were gone. “So, this Sora. You said you had lunch with her and Amy, right? Do you think she’ll be a good roommate?”

Matt had to pin down the grin that lifted his lips. _Oh, Sora would be a good many things._ He couldn’t help feeling attracted to her. She was beautiful, and there was an air of kindness and maturity about her that drew him in, even as it made him nervous. He wasn’t sure he was on the same level as her, and that was something he had never thought before, something that made her even more mesmerizing. But if his years of being a singer/bassist with girls vying for his attention had taught him anything, it was the difference between attraction and love. And so, he would proceed with as much casualness and caution as he could.

“Yeah. She seems like a nice person. Although I think Amy may drive her nuts, asking so many questions about Japan.” He focused on the hallway as Amy and Sora opened the door from the common room, which stood between this section of hallway and Amy’s hall.

Amy picked up her pace so she would reach them before Sora. “You’re still here,” she said, and her expression was difficult to read.

“Always,” Matt said, but he smirked and pushed a stray piece of hair back, a bit of playful arrogance that he hoped would lighten his statement and make her smile. And it did, as usual.

“Hey, Sora!” she called over her shoulder. Then she paused and placed a hand on her cheek. “Wait, should I call you that? Have I been rude? I’d be happy to use an honorific, if you prefer.”

Sora grimaced as she approached, and Matt found himself looking away. How many people looked good when they grimaced? This was worse than he thought…

“Please, no. Just Sora. I’ve lived here since middle school, so please talk to me like you would your American friends.” Amy colored and squished her face between her hands, and a look of panic flitted across Sora’s features. “I’m not offended! I appreciate that you’re trying to accommodate our cultural differences, I really do, but I’m just giving you my preference, because you asked.”

Amy’s shoulders slumped forward as she exhaled with relief. “Oh, I’m glad.” Then she moved towards the door to Sora’s dorm room, but came to a sudden halt midway. Blushing slightly, she came back to where he and Tai were standing, and Matt shared a grin with Tai, since each of them knew that she had completely forgotten about them.

“Sora, obviously you know Matt.” She paused for a second to grin hugely, beaming at him with pride and excitement, and Matt felt his heart twinge.

_You’re so proud of us, so invested in us. And you wonder why we can never leave you alone._

Amy leaned into Tai. Matt looked at his friend, expecting to see affection on his face, but Tai’s attention was on Sora. “And this is my cousin, Tai. He plays soccer, you like soccer, right? I saw your posters. He’s really good! Anywho, Tai, meet my new roommate, Sora. She’s been very kind to me.”

Tai extended a hand to Sora, and she took it and shook. “Nice to meet you,” Tai said. Sora returned the nicety, and Tai offered to help her move into Amy’s room.

“Hey, Matt’s here too,” Amy said, laughing. This soothed some of Matt’s annoyance at Tai’s forgetfulness, and he took the opportunity to smile at Sora, as handsomely as he could. Sora took a step back from the two of them, looking a little surprised.

“Oh! Well, that’s so nice of you. It would be a big help, but I don’t even know you, not really. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“No problem,” Matt said. “It won’t take long with all four of us, and we’re both worried about Amy straining herself. She has a way of trying too hard.”

“Maaaaatt!” Amy whined, sounding much like TK did when he was younger. He grinned automatically, and he noticed Sora’s expression softening in his peripheral vision.

“That’s so sweet of you both,” she said. “Alright. You help us get our room together, and we’ll take you to dinner, what do you say, Amy?”

“Oh!” Amy cried. “I like that! These two, it’s always give, give, give with them. Feel the wrath of my reciprocation!” Then she laughed and disappeared into the dorm room, where her snorting could still be faintly heard.

Sora blinked after her, and Tai scratched the back of his head. “She’s kinda weird, but trust me. Her heart is in the right place, and in a big way.” Sora smiled sweetly, a smile that lit and warmed her eyes, and Matt found himself leaning in closer.

“I think we’ll get along just fine.”


End file.
